Trials of Error
by Ian Bekker
Summary: Chapter 3 up! A tragedy claims the Nirvana only months after the end of Second Stage. Now, three years later, Hibiki, Meia, and Barnette are left to deal with the loss. Hibiki most of all, who is constantly haunted by the memories of that day.
1. Prologue: Tragedy

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Vandread.

**Trials of Error**

**Prologue: Tragedy**

_I remember that day as if it were yesterday…_

_A combined fleet from Tarak and Mejale, lead by the Nirvana, were undergoing an operation to end the Harvest by striking the enemy on their home front. I was a major proponent in carrying out this operation. What a damn fool I was. After months of searching, we didn't find the location of Earth, the origin of the Harvest, as we were cut off by a large fleet, much bigger than the last one we fought. That was the beginning of a tragic event that still haunts me today…_

_We gave as good as we got, with the battle raging on for the better part of three hours. When the odds were in our favor, the Earthers pulled a trick out of their bag. A very nasty trick, the bastards. It was this that turned our advantage into just the opposite. Out of nowhere, half of the fleet vanished in a conflagration of thermonuclear fire. This shocked us, allowing them to press their advantage, what ensued was a battle like no other. Getting over their losses, the Tarak and Mejalean fleets fought back with a ferocity that surpassed even the fleet from Melanos, the one that Seran was on. That gave us hope, although that didn't last long._

_We fought them to a stalemate, with neither force gaining the upper hand for several minutes. I was instrumental in the countercharge, helping fight off the Vandread copies as well as several Nirvana-clones. We held them at bay for several minutes, until something happened that changed my life as well as a few others. It's kinda hard to explain, but the Paksis had some kind of reaction to a new weapon of theirs. Before we knew it, the Nirvana was being pulled into what could be called some kind of wormhole, along with all of its Dread pilots._

_Due to our position, Meia and I were not pulled into the large expanse. As soon as the thing appeared, it vanished taking the Nirvana, and the entire crew with it. Dita, as well as Jura were dragged in as well. I'll never forget the agonizing screams of Dita as she called out my name as she desperately tried to fight herself free. It proved to be a useless effort, as since her craft was much smaller, as well as easier to suck in. I remember calling out to her, and attempted to try to get to her. Before I could do so, the wormhole collapsed, taking away most of the comrades and friends I came to know and respect. It took the person I loved._

_After the Nirvana's disappearance, the Earth fleet also was gone, vanished from this section of space. It left us stunned and unable to comprehend what just happened. Until the grim reality us. They were gone, nowhere to be found. Not the entire crew from the Nirvana vanished, as we managed, with the help of the allied fleet, to locate a few Dread pilots who were wounded in the earlier stages of the battle. Among them was Barnette, who was disabled and knocked unconscious after a run-in with a Vandread Meia clone. The other pilots from the Nirvana all died from wounds a few hours later. _

_We were left to pick up the pieces, trying to figure out just what the hell happened. Many considered it a victory. Neither Meia nor I considered it that. After we managed to complete repairs and see to the survivors, we limped home. Even though we were severely mauled, what awaited us at home was a celebration, even though not one of us felt like doing any celebrating, now or ever. I was unable to get over the loss. _

_A few months later, we petitioned for a small fleet to search for the Nirvana and any survivors. That search went on for five months, and we were unable to locate even a trace. Then the order came, we were to come home, as the higher-ups considered the Nirvana 'lost', and its entire crew missing, presumed dead. We refused to believe it, even arguing for more time, but in the end we had to give up the search. Not long after, the nations of Tarak and Mejale formed an alliance, and we were to be part of it. That was three years ago…_

_We still believe that our friends and loved ones are out there, somewhere…_

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This is a relatively new idea for a story that I'm thinking of writing. Let me know what you think. If I get enough positive responses I'll continue the story. Oh, and I'm putting A Renewed War on temporary hold, so I can revise and/or rewrite a few chapters, as well as putting in more time for The Perfect Weapon.


	2. Chapter One: Alliance

Disclaimer: I do not own Vandread.

_**A/N**_: As it said in the prologue, this story takes place close to three and a half years after the events at the end of Second Stage. Also, sorry for the wait on this, as, after I had written the first several pages, I realized that they were not heading the way I wanted. So I had to rewrite them. Well, now here it is for your reading enjoyment.

**Trials of Error**

**Chapter One: Alliance**

"It seems, no matter how hard I tried, I could never forget that fateful day. Even during my self-imposed exile to that planet I crashed on in the Magnetic Storm, the memory wouldn't ever go away. Upon my return to my home system, I joined the Tarak Imperial Army. To think, I never would have done something like this if she, if Dita were still around. I still wonder how my life would be right now if she were still here."

- From the personal journal of Hibiki Tokai

* * *

With precision that only countless hours of training could attain, several black Vanguards tore the Harvester' ranks with what one could label as a fanatic's zeal. They quickly made work of the small skirmishing force that the Earth forces had sent ahead of their main advance. Apparently spurred by the rather quick defeat of their scouting elements, the main body, which consisted of several larger vessels and automated units, as well as one of the powerful Nirvana-clone ships moved in to attack. Even though they were outnumbered, the lone Tarak vessel and its complement of attack Vanguard fought with a determination that belied their numbers.

The primary reason was the effectiveness the Vanguard squadron commander showed in taking on the enemy. If one paid close attention, they would notice that his machine was different from the rest being employed in the battle. Even though it was painted black, one could not forget it's distinct, menacing appearance. With a pair of silver eyes instead of the normal cyclopean eye that all prior Vanguards sported, it had a more streamlined appearance. It also had the numeral '1' painted in red on the right shoulder. Opposite that, was the Japanese Kanji for a word meaning 'Retribution'. Aside from obvious color differences, one might recognize the Vanguard's design as belonging to that of the only male survivor from the Nirvana, Hibiki Tokai.

"Commander! To you left!" one of the Vanguard pilots warned Hibiki, who was about to be attacked by a Vandread Meia clone. Reacting with what some would call inhuman reflexes, Hibiki dodged the swooping strike, grabbing hold of one of the clone's legs with his left hand, he thrust the sword into the underbelly of the machine. Pulling the sword out, he jetted clear as the clone exploded seconds later. He dispatched another Vandread clone with brutal efficiency, cutting it in half as before it could react to his presence. The last clone, this one of the Nirvana, fired at him with all of its laser cannon. Dodging the multitude of blasts, Hibiki moved his Vanguard point-blank with his attacker. The Vanguard's right forearm and fist started emitting electricity, apparently charging for something. With punishing force, he drove the electrically-charged fist into the machine's core.

What appeared to some as lightning shot out of the back of the clone, followed by a massive surge throughout its body. A few scant seconds after he withdrew his machine's fist, the clone exploded. What few cube-type drones remained were quickly dispatched, taken out by the rest of the Vanguards. As soon as the last Harvester drone was destroyed, Hibiki radioed the all-clear.

Less than five minutes later, all Vanguards were back onboard the Kodotai, the warship that squadron was assigned to, with Hibiki's being the last to set foot inside the hangar. After he docked it in its assigned cradle, he opened the cockpit, and exited. Looking down from his perch on the gantry, he noticed his second-in-command, Gerhard Koenig already on the hangar deck. Deftly making his way down there, by using his Vanguards cockpit hatch to push himself off, as there was no gravity in the hangar, as it was standard protocol before and after a sortie. Landing right beside his exec, he turned to face him.

"Commander," Gerhard said by a way of greeting. "The Captain wants to see you for debrief, ASAP."

"Restoring normal gravity," the intercom blared, warning everyone in the hangar.

Hibiki scowled internally at the voice, as it cut off his reply. After the message repeated itself, he finally spoke. "Right now?"

"Ja, that's what he said," Gerhard replied with a slight Germanic accent, running a hand through his short brown hair.

"Well, better not keep him waiting then," Hibiki replied with a smirk.

* * *

"Commander Hibiki Tokai reporting as ordered, sir," Hibiki said upon entering Captain Tanegawa's office.

"Take a seat, Commander," Tanegawa said without looking up. He waited until Hibiki took a seat before continuing. "The reason I summoned you here so quickly is that you have received new orders."

"New orders?" Hibiki echoed. "Care to explain, sir?"

"I was to getting to that," Tanegawa said flatly. "You and your squadron are to hereby cease all combat actions and return back to Tarak to await transfer to a new ship."

"Return to Tarak?" Hibiki replied, getting up out of his seat, surprise, as well as a little bit of anger in his voice. "But there are still Harvesters out there, and you're saying that my squadron has to leave the front, for what damned reason?"

Tanegawa gave him a stern gaze. "If you'll let me finish, Commander. You know of the Unity, don't you?"

"Yes sir," he replied, sitting back down. A little bit of anger still in his voice. "That's the ship that's being built by both Tarak and Mejale. I don't see what it has to do with me or my men."

"Oh, but it does," Tanegawa countered. "That is the ship you are to be transferred to. They wanted one of the best Vanguard squadrons as part of the ship's battle force. Seeing as how General Kyumel turned down the offer, and as your squadron was the only other with extensive battle experience against Earth, High Command made their decision. You are to coordinate and integrate your unit with Dread Teams assigned to the ship, under the command of Meia Gisborn."

"Meia?" Hibiki blurted, hardly believing it. "She's assigned to that ship?"

"Yes," Tanegawa replied. "And seeing as you fought alongside her when you were part of the pirates, it was only natural that you'd be selected for the job."

Hibiki just sat there, not knowing what to think of this little situation. He parted ways with Meia and Barnette almost three years ago. He didn't know what they'd think of him now, as they hadn't seen him since then either. When he returned to Tarak, he neglected to inform them of his return, as he felt he couldn't face them at the time. Now, he was being forced into a reunion with them. "When are we supposed to return?"

"In the next few days," Tanegawa replied. "The Mihari is scheduled to be here in two days. You are to transfer over to that ship once it arrives. Commander Mitsuhara's Stryker Squadron is to continue operations here. Inform your men, dismissed."

"Yes sir," Hibiki replied after a few seconds. He got up, saluted and turned to leave the Captain's office.

"Do you know why we're being summoned?" Barnette asked Meia when she caught up to her. "Immediately after the training exercise?"

"Not completely sure," Meia replied. "But I heard Rebecca say something about a Tarak commander, that he would be arriving in a few days."

"From Tarak?" she wondered. "So, they finally made up there mind on who to send. So I guess we'll find out who he is. I hope he's not like the last one."

That got a faint smile out of Meia as they approached Rebecca's office. Since they were both expected, they went in. Rebecca, overall commander of the pirates, sat at her desk. After the Nirvana's disappearance, she was really the most senior member of the pirates, so command fell to her. Of course the Nirvana's disappearance had an effect on them all, Barnette figured that it was probably harder on Rebecca. After all, Ezra and Kahlua had been onboard when it disappeared. She felt the same, as Jura had vanished along with the rest of them. Unlike the leadership of both nations, she held out hope that they were alive out there, somewhere. They had all lost something that day, especially Hibiki.

She had noticed that the relationship between Hibiki and Dita was finally getting somewhere. In the last few months before their disappearance, they had gotten closer to one another. He was by far the hardest hit, and constantly blamed himself for what had happened. He put it squarely on his shoulders, taking the burden of guilt with into what he labeled his self-imposed exile. After he had left, they hadn't seen him since, as he was out of contact. Even three years later, and neither herself nor Meia knew of his exact whereabouts. What Rebecca said next surprised them both.

"As I told Meia earlier," Rebecca started. "A Tarak Squadron Commander is going to show up in the next few days. He is none other than our very own Hibiki Tokai."

"What?" they both replied at the same time.

"Seriously," Rebecca said, handing Meia the data pad. "Unless there is another person by that name, which I find unlikely."

"Since when did he get back?" Meia asked as she handed the pad to Barnette.

Barnette looked at the data pad, and sure enough, it said the name 'Hibiki Tokai'. Since when did he join the Tarak Imperial Army?

"I'm not sure," Rebecca replied to Meia's question. "He'll be here in two days, why don't you ask him yourself?"

* * *

Meia knew why he left. After the search was recalled, he was devastated, and just a bit angry at the higher-ups for giving up so easy. Hell, she was angry at them too, for forcing them return before they found the Nirvana. Hibiki left not to search, but to think, as he had said to her before he departed. She knew what he meant. She did a lot of the same, if not more so, on what was going to happen now that most of their friends and loved ones had been sucked into the void. She still didn't know what to do. Even though this alliance had given her a focus. To carry on what the Captain and the others had started.

Although, in the back of her mind, she knew that they were still alive, or at least the Paksis was, as her Dread and Hibiki's Vanguard still worked. Even though the success of this alliance was on the forefront of her mind, she would always place a higher priority on her comrades and friends, and that included finding the Nirvana. She would gladly forsake this alliance if it meant finding them. As it stood now, they hadn't the power or the ability to do that, at least not right now.

She stood there, along with Barnette and Rebecca, awaiting the shuttle pod that carried Hibiki. She was having mixed feelings about him, as why did he join the Tarak military, and why did he didn't tell them he when he arrived in the system. She knew she was going to have to ask him those particular questions when he got here. It's not as if she was close to him, she just wanted to know how he was after all this time. After all, aside from Barnette, they were the only ones that didn't get dragged in. They were the only three left from the Nirvana, forming a kind of bond between them.

Slowly, the shuttle pod came to a stop, venting steam from its engines as they were shut down. The ramp extended, stopping when it connected to the pod's hatch. The hatch opened, and a lone figure stood at the hatch's exit. It was none other than Hibiki Tokai. To her, it seemed he had changed in the three years he'd been gone. He was taller, and she could tell he gained a little bit muscle underneath his modified uniform. His hair was also longer, and kept back in a ponytail. The only thing that apparently didn't change was that smirk he had. So focused she was on his appearance that she almost failed to notice that he was already at the foot of the ramp, less than two meters away from where she stood.

A long silence hung over the group, until Hibiki finally spoke up. "Long time no see, eh?"

* * *

Well, there it is for you, I hope you find satisfactory. Read, and review. (If you want to.)


	3. Chapter Two: Unexpected Homecoming

Disclaimer: I do not own Vandread.

_**A/N: **_After a four-year hiatus, I am back to finish what I started. And yes, this is supposed to be the Hibiki we all know. But as you know, that tragedy changed him in more ways than one, including events that I have yet to reveal. Oh, and I plan on having flashback sequences that show what happened before the tragedy, they will be interspersed throughout the story.

**Trials of Error**

**Chapter Two: Unexpected Homecoming**

"_To be honest, I didn't expect to get that reaction from Meia when I just showed up out of the blue. It was almost as if she were at a loss for words, and she had a look of worry on her face that she tried to hide, but I noticed. Now Barnette on the other hand, had quite a few words to say to me, most of them not very complimentary."_

_-From the personal journal of Hibiki Tokai_

* * *

"Long time no see, eh?" Hibiki said with a smirk.

Several long seconds passed afterward before Meia could force herself to reply. She'd barely said his name when Barnette flew into a verbal assault.

"Where the hell have you been!" Barnette said, with a little bit of anger in her voice. "And when did you join the Tarak Army?"

"C'mon, is that anyway to treat an old comrade?" Hibiki replied jokingly, before answering. "Eight months ago, if you must know."

"You came back over eight months ago, and you don't even tell us!" Barnette said angrily.

"From the way you're scolding me, it sounds to me like you care about me," Hibiki replied with a slight smile.

Hibiki's reply only seemed to agitate her further. "Like hell."

"Alright, that's more than enough," Rebecca said, using her command voice. Confident she'd silenced them both, she turns to Hibiki. "It's good to have you back."

Appearing glad for the interruption, Hibiki turned his attention to her. "It's good to be back."

"As I'm sure you're aware," Rebecca said to him, motioning for him, Meia, and Barnette to follow her. "We have quite a bit to discuss."

"Lead the way," was Hibiki's only reply as he started walking.

"So, when will the rest of your unit be arriving?" Rebecca asked Hibiki.

"In the next couple of days," he replied. "But that isn't all you guys wanted to talk about, was it?"

"True," Meia replied, breaking her silence since Hibiki had arrived. "How come you didn't at least send us a message when you arrived in-system?

_Damn, this again?_ He quickly came up with an answer. "I was intercepted by a Tarak cruiser the second I arrived in the system, in which they 'escorted' me back to Tarak for questioning. Damn intelligence officers."

"That still doesn't explain why you're part of their military," Barnette interjected.

"Oh, that," he said, looking down at his uniform. "It was part of a deal I had to make with them."

"What kind of deal?" Rebecca asked, giving him a quizzical look.

"That I serve in the military as a pilot and squadron commander, claiming they needed my skill to locate and destroy any Harvester units on the fringe of their space," he replied, telling them a half-truth.

"Uh-huh," Barnette said, doubt obvious in her voice.

"Alright, I think that's a good enough reason," Rebecca said, hoping to stop an argument before it started. "Hibiki, while we wait for your unit to arrive, I want you to work with Meia so that we can integrate squadron tactics so that we can run exercises when they arrive. Barnette, continue training the new security personnel. I want everything in order for when the time comes. Since it is getting late, you don't have to start until tomorrow. Dismissed."

* * *

"_Help, it's pulling me in, I can't get away from it! Help! HIBIKI!"_

With a sudden jolt, Hibiki sat upright, a cold sweat covering his face and chest. _Why? _he asked himself. "Dammit! Why am I having that dream again?"

That particular nightmare had been haunting his sleep for the past several months. At first, he only had it about once a week, but now it was every other day. The dream constantly reminded him of how weak he was, unable to save his comrades, unable to saver _her, _the one he cared for, the one he _loved._ Disgusted, he threw off the blanket he'd been using, and got off his bed. Walking over to the small bathroom in his quarters, he stopped at the sink. Turning on the sink, he splashed cold water liberally over his face in an attempt to banish the thoughts from his mind. Although he knew better, the memory would just reappear in his mind later.

He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, noticing the intricate snake-like tattoo coiled on his upper left arm. He had gotten that while he was part of a independent military group, but that was a memory he didn't want to remember either. He ran his hand along the scar on his chest, a memento from that time as well. Turning away from the mirror, he walked over to the shower. Several minutes later, he put on his clothes, a simple black t-shirt, tan uniform pants, socks, and a pair of boots.

He decided to go for a walk, and left his room.

* * *

Meia sat there, running combat simulations at the briefing room terminal. She intended to have everything in order by tomorrow. She knew it was getting late, but she had trouble getting to sleep. It was the same kind of situation that happened for the past few days. And it didn't help now that Hibiki had appeared out of the blue after being gone for so long. It made her wonder exactly where he had been for the last few years. But, knowing him, he wouldn't divulge that information, even if she asked.

"Dammit," she muttered, unable to clear her thoughts about Hibiki and events from the past. _Need to focus!_

Unable to find it, she got up out of her seat and determined to go work out her frustrations in the gym. As of late, she found that to be best way to get her mind off of certain things, as thinking over tactical maneuvers and battle plans just seemed to always bring back memories of that day, and her failure to anticipate the events that happened. She saved the current plan setup and shut off the terminal before briskly making her way out of the briefing room.

Several minutes later, she made it to the gym, which was situated in the Unity's recreational area. Even she'd been on the ship for a few months, she still wasn't entirely used to it. It still seemed somewhat foreign to her. She walked through the doors, and walked into the darkened room. Since it was late at night, or really early in the morning to some people, the gym was empty. She preferred it that way, no one around to witness her relieve her frustrations. She turned on the lights, went over to the women's locker room, undressed and took a quick shower. A few minutes later, she dried herself off and put on one of the training outfits, which was a simple, black sleeveless shirt with gray workout pants that were form-fitting but roomy.

Without much hesitation, she started her workout with some warm-up exercises.

* * *

Hibiki strolled around the ship's garden, trying to rid himself of the last traces of the nightmare that he'd had earlier. There was just something so serene, so peaceful about walking along the path, hearing nothing but his footsteps and the sound of running water from the stream that cut though the center of the park. It was a good place to clear one's mind of troubling thoughts.

_How different I must seem to them,_ he mused to himself. _After all I've gone through, I'd be surprised if I hadn't changed. For better or worse, I have yet to find the answer._

Having adequately cleared his mind of the nightmare, he glanced at his watch. "Better try to get some sleep. Meia would have my head if I wasn't adequately rested for the training exercises."

He started to make his way back to his room, when he noticed that the gym's lights were on. His curiosity peaked as to who would be awake at this hour, other than himself, he walked into the gym. There he noticed a familiar blue haired woman assaulting a punching bag.

It took all but twenty seconds before she noticed his presence. "How long were you standing there?" she asked, breathing heavily as she stopped what she was doing and turned to face him.

"Just walked in," he replied. "Need a sparring partner?"

"Answer something for me first," she said, making eye contact with him.

"And what would that be?" he inquired, even though he probably knew what the question was going to be about, but wanted to hear her say it first.

"Where have you been these last few years?" she asked. "Before you 'joined' the Tarak Army."

"Here and there," he replied, dodging the question. "How is it really any of your business?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly at his last comment. "It isn't really, I was just curious."

"Tell you what," he said, approaching the mat. "If you beat me in a sparring match, I'll tell you."

"Deal," she replied as she assumed a defensive stance.

* * *

The shrill, beeping sound of an alarm clock woke Barnette up from a fitful sleep. She reached over and felt around for the offending clock, and once she found it, she slammed her hand down on it, silencing it for the moment. She sluggishly moved around in her bed, before forcing herself up to a sitting position.

"I hate getting up this early," she muttered to herself as she climbed out of bed and made her way to the bathroom.

Once there, she stripped out of her underwear and stepped into the shower. Several minutes later, she stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel and proceeded to dry herself off. After drying off, she walked out of the bathroom and back into the rest of her quarters. She went over to her dresser and grabbed several articles of clothing.

It wasn't long before she was fully dressed in attire that was very similar to the outfit that she had worn when she was in charge of the Nirvana's Reg System. It had been a while since she had last worn her normal outfit, which she couldn't wear without being reminded of Jura.

She walked over to her nightstand, which contained her belt holster for her sidearm, a first generation CZ 75 9 millimeter handgun. She picked it up and pulled the slide back to check and see if the gun was unloaded, from force of habit. She flicked the safety off and squeezed the trigger, dry-firing it. She then grabbed one of the loaded magazines and inserted it into the handgun, pulling the slide back to load a round into the chamber. She clicked the safety back on, before putting it into the holster on her hip. Even though encountering anything hostile was almost nonexistent, she preferred to be prepared either way.

"Best get to it," she said aloud before walking out of her room and on her way to perform her tasks for the day.

* * *

With a thud, Meia landed on her back, with Hibiki pinning her.

"Looks like you lose," he said with a smirk on his face as he held her to the mat.

"You're a little too arrogant," Meia replied, pulling a quick move and reversing their situation, this time with him pinned to the mat.

"Not bad," he said, complimenting her. "I concede."

Hearing what she wanted to hear, she got up off of him, allowing him to get up as well.

"That's not like you to give in so easy," she said to him. "It's almost like you let me win."

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," he replied, smiling.

"I don't know what it is, but you've changed," Meia said. "Now how about you answer my question now?"

Before he could answer, Rebecca's voice sounded from both Meia's and Hibiki's communicators. "Meia, Hibiki, report to the briefing room as soon as possible."

"Looks like it'll have to wait," Hibiki replied to her.

* * *

Well, there you have it. I'm pretty sure most of you are thinking, 'About damn time' and I don't blame you one bit on that one. I know it seems to be going a bit on the slow side, but it will most likely pick up in pace in a few chapters. Read and review (if you want to, I would appreciate it, but it's not absolutely necessary.)


	4. Chapter Three: Preparation

Disclaimer: I do not own Vandread.

_**A/N: **_As I said last chapter, it'll probably go a little slow until later, when it picks up in pace. And thanks to those who reviewed. Without further ado, here's the next chapter.

**Trials of Error**

**Chapter Three: Preparation**

"_For Meia to openly ask that sort of question, caught me slightly off guard. It was unlike her to ask about anyone else, with the way she normally is. I guess we both changed over the years."_

_-From the personal journal of Hibiki Tokai_

* * *

Less than five minutes after they'd been summoned, had Hibiki and Meia entered the briefing room. They both immediately noticed that aside from Rebecca, Valore and Barnette were both present as well. Several seconds passed before Rebecca finally spoke.

"Now that we're all here, we can get down to it," she said as she brought up a holographic image of the Unity. "The ceremony for this ship's maiden voyage is next week."

"That doesn't leave us much time," Valore replied as she glanced at the holo-image.

"Preparations are almost underway," Barnette said. "Everything will be ready by then."

"Good," Rebecca replied. "How about you Meia?"

"We are to begin integration of Hibiki's unit today," she replied. "Once they are on-board, at least."

"They will arrive as scheduled," Hibiki added." "They'll be here in a few hours. After they get sorted out, we'll begin the exercises."

"How reliable is your unit?" Valore asked. "The last one they sent here couldn't pilot worth a damn."

"I personally chose the pilots myself," he replied as he turned to face the red-haired Dread pilot. "I can assure you, they are some of the best Tarak has to offer. They are specially trained to combat Harvester forces."

That reply seemed to quiet the room for several seconds, leaving a rather awkward silence among the group assembled. Rebecca finally broke the silence. "It seems everything is in order then. You are dismissed."

Barnette and Valore both left the room, but before he could leave, Rebecca spoke up again. "Hibiki, Meia, you stay. We still have a few things to discuss."

* * *

"He seemed full of himself," Valore muttered as both her and Barnette walked down the corridor.

"Well, he is a man," Barnette replied casually. "But he doesn't strike me as someone who would lie about the skill of those under his command."

"How so?" Valore asked as they continued walking, passing a few other women who were busy carrying out their assigned tasks.

"Like most of us," Barnette said, remembering of his relationship with Dita. "He lost something very important to him, that day three years ago."

After that comment, the two remained silent for several seconds. They both knew the significance of that event, and the repercussions it had left in it's wake.

"Well, I guess that leaves just one thing," Valore said as she left to attend to her duties.

"Their loyalty," Barnette said as she watched Valore walk away.

* * *

"You can't be serious!" Hibiki responded with surprise as Rebecca had laid out the plan they intended to carry out to him.

"Well," Rebecca said, unfazed by his outburst. "What do you think of it?"

"It's crazy," he replied, calming down quickly. "I'm not sure how you can make it work."

"We formed this plan ever since they started building the Unity," Meia said. "We've planned for pretty much every contingency, and now there is only one left."

"And that would be?" Hibiki asked.

"Your unit," Rebecca stated. "Can we trust them?"

"My second, Gerhard Koenig, is one hundred percent loyal to me. He'd follow me through hell and back," he said matter-of-factly. Then added an unspoken thought. _"He already has."_

"And the rest of them?" Rebecca asked, giving him a stern glance.

"I chose them based on two facts," Hibiki replied, returning her gaze. "Their skill, and their willingness to work with women. I didn't want any bigots within my unit, can't stand'em."

"That's all and good," Rebecca said as she read the datapad that contained the roster list of the pilots under Hibiki's command. "But what of their loyalty? Can they be trusted?"

"In one word, yes," Hibiki replied with slight hostility in his voice.

"I believe they can be trusted," Meia interjected, hoping to defuse a tense situation. "I trust his judgment."

"Very well," Rebecca said, hesitantly backing down. "Both of you are dismissed."

_"I hope you're right, Meia..." _was Rebecca's primary thought as she watched them leave the briefing room.

* * *

"This is Lieutenant Koenig of the Blackwind Squadron," Gerhard announced from the cockpit of his custom Vanguard in response to the call for identification from the pirate asteroid base. "Requesting permission to dock."

"Authorization confirmed," the female voice replied. "Your ship and escort are cleared for docking."

"Acknowledged," he responded curtly. "Beginning docking procedures now."

He took up position alongside the transport, which contained the majority of the unit and their equipment. Not counting himself or their commander Hibiki Tokai, there were a total of ten pilots aboard the craft alongside their Vanguards, the Commander's Vanguard, and the necessary spare parts, ammunition and other supplies, as well as additional support staff. Moments later the transport alongside its escort had come to a stop inside the large docking hangar, and the large blast doors closed and the artificial gravity as well as the life support was restored.

After a few moments, he opened the cockpit hatch of his machine and made his way down to the deck. He was greeted by Hibiki Tokai and a woman with short, light blue hair wearing a black and white pilot suit. He assumed that she was the leader of the pirates' fighter squadron. With sharp military precision, he brought himself to attention and saluted the two.

"No need to be so formal," Hibiki said casually as he extended his hand.

"Just trying to make a good first impression," he replied, shaking the commander's hand. He turned to face the woman, bowing slightly as did so. "Lieutenant Gerhard Koenig, ma'am."

"Meia Gisborn," the woman said in reply. "I'm in command of the Dread Teams here, as well as the overall commander of the combined Vanguard and Dread forces."

"After all the equipment is unloaded," Hibiki said. "Have everyone report to the briefing room on board the Unity. We'll discuss what's to be done once that is completed."

"Understood Commander," Gerhard replied curtly as he watched Hibiki and Meia walk away. "It will be done."

* * *

"That is one interesting subordinate you have there," Meia said to Hibiki once they were out of earshot.

"He is a peculiar one, yes," Hibiki responded with a slight chuckle. "Not really something common in a Tarak man, is it?"

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, then came to a sudden realization. "He's not from Tarak, is he?"

"Bingo," he admitted nonchalantly. "He's not."

"Now that raises a few questions," she stated as she kept pace with him.

"I bet it does," he replied. "But there'll be another time for that. We have things to do."

"I suppose we do," she responded as they reached the briefing room. She then thought to herself. _"Why won't you answer my question?"_

* * *

Several minutes later, all of the pilots were assembled in the briefing room. From a casual glance, one can tell the female pilots outnumbered the male pilots. That mattered little, since every pilot assembled was an expert at what they did. Their respective commanders had made sure of that.

"Now that everyone's here, we can begin," Meia announced while tapping a few buttons on the console in front of her. "We are going to begin a series of integration exercises to better familiarize Commander Tokai's squadron with our own."

"True," Hibiki added. "We only have a week to become ready for the launch of the Unity."

"With that in mind," she said. "We will start with several simulator runs, and later move on to actual combat exercises. As of now, we will be running the following exercise." She promptly brought up the battle exercise they were going to run on the large screen.

"Any questions?" Hibiki added, scanning the room. No one bothered to speak up or raise a hand, so he took that as a 'no'. "Then report to the simulators to begin the exercise."

As the pilots begin to file into the simulator room, Meia loaded the program into the simulator pods. The plan was mostly designed by her, with some input from Hibiki. Several moments later, all of the pilots confirmed their readiness. With a few button taps across the console, she started the program.

"So," she said as she watched the pilots run through the simulation. "Mind answering my question now?"

"I guess there really is no avoiding this," Hibiki muttered. "You know that planet in the magnetic storm? The one I crashed on?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I remember it."

"I spent the better part of a year there," he said, taking the occasional glance at the simulation. "I did what some people would call a little 'soul-searching'. It helped, but not by much. After taking my leave of the planet, I came across a large Harvester attack force. I deployed, but they took out my ship.

"I was about to be overwhelmed, but a large fleet came out of nowhere and destroyed the Earth forces that had attacked me," he continued. "They decided to let me join up with them, and I assisted in their battle against the Earthlings. I was with them for about two years, until the battle that wiped them out. Gerhard and I were the only survivors. We eventually limped back to Tarak, where we were intercepted by one of their patrols. After a while, they 'insisted' I join the Tarak Army. Due to my status as a first-class citizen, I was able to get my own command, and a fair amount of freedom in what missions I decided to go on. That is, until my assignment to this ship. That's the gist of it."

"Sounds like you had an eventful time," Meia had said, waiting to reply until after she was sure he was finished. "So that's why you've been out of contact."

"Pretty much," he replied, shrugging. "But that's the past, let's focus on the present at the moment."

She nodded, and noticed that the pilots had just reported that they had finished the exercise. She still couldn't shake the fact that he wasn't telling her everything, but she decided to leave it at that for now. The fact that he'd told her that much was surprising. She wasn't sure why she was so interested in knowing what happened to him during that time. Had she developed feelings for him? Similar to what Dita had felt?

* * *

_Well, there you have it. Hope you enjoy it. Leave a review if you want to, I'd really appreciate it. I plan to start picking up the storyline in the next several chapters. Also, I wouldn't mind input on some of the characters/crew I need to come up with. If any of you have any ideas for potential crew, both male and female, just let me know via PM._


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